Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 2, 2017

Yikes it's a little slow out there! A total Saturday catch of 50,000 sockeye, and less than 100,000 counted as escapement, and the total run inches past 8 million. West side set netters head into the Wood, Area M's North Pen fleet sits a few out, and fishermen everywhere wait for a big wall of fish.

Tending to chores in Egegik, where after some slow days the fleet will get more fishing time tonight.

Credit Nick Ciolino / KDLG

Catch this program nightly at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., and 2 a.m. on AM 670, and online at KDLG.org. (With early broadcasts Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.)

Saturday's catch was just 50,000 sockeye, compared to 876,000 on the same date last year. The total run inches past 8 million, but it has been a slow couple of days for the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery. Port Moller saw an uptick Saturday, especially at the inshore stations, and genetics are showing some fish bound for the districts missing them so far. Is a wall of fish around the corner? Travis Ellison says he may fish the Naknek-Kvichak fleets soon, warning them not to go dry. Paul Salmone will put Egegik back in the water tonight, but Ugashik escapement has been "excruciatingly" slow. Tim Sands opened the Wood River Special Harvest Area to set netters to curb over-escapement and let them catch up on allocation. Today, Area M's Bob Murphy says it has been slow there, too, and will keep Outer Port Heiden closed till later in the week. (KDLG alumnus) Liam Wright offers an update from the front of the Wood River line, and KDLG's Nick Ciolino catches up with Icicle's CEO in Egegik.